Milkshake Hearts

Chapter 85: Spotify

By Friday afternoon, much of Courtney's extended family have moved on, returning to their own homes (or, in some cases, Black Friday shopping. Courtney, for her part, pulls out her laptop to grab a couple of Christmas presents online while they're on sale, but she certainly won't be lining up in crowded stores). It leaves a much smaller group sitting around the dining table at her mother's house after lunch on Friday, comprising only Courtney, Kari, her second-eldest sister Kathryn, and their mother. They talk aimlessly about their Thanksgiving, recounting everyone they hadn't seen for too long.

"You know, the next time everyone gets together will be at your wedding, Courtney," her mother comments.

"I guess it will be," she replies, biting back a wide smile at the reminder it is only six months away.

"You know, all us Miller kids got married in age order up to this point – but Courtney before Kari?" Kathryn comments, glancing at Kari, who laughs loudly in response.

"I'm never getting married, not my style, so it's still as close to in order as it's going to be. And quit teasing me, because like, can we talk about Court over here for a minute? Couple of years ago you were just chilling, now you're getting married, buying a house with him... that's some real adult shit," Kari grins. It makes Courtney blush and shrug.

"It is a lot, actually. Lots of commitment. You nervous?" Kathryn asks. It makes her pause for a moment in consideration.

"Not really. I mean – I'm anxious about the wedding in the sense that it's a lot of people and it has to be perfect, but otherwise? Nah. I can't wait to be married to Shayne and own a home with him where we can actually have people over and maybe adopt a pet..." she trails off, reaching down to scratch Django's conveniently-placed head as he sits on the floor just under the edge of the table beside her.

"You've got it so bad for him," Kari points out.

"Well, yeah. That's why I'm marrying him. You ready for your maid of honour duties to get busier soon?" Courtney turns the questioning back on Kari. Predictably, she enthuses that she is, before twisting the conversation ever so slightly until she – and their mother – convince Courtney that it wouldn't matter if she just showed the detail she has of her dress so far to them. Courtney flicks through her photos until she finds the one of her in the sample dress, sliding it over to her mother first as she explains the changes to the fabric and sleeves.

"Oh, that looks really nice on you. Not going big or traditional?" her mother comments, brightly.

"Do I ever wear anything big or traditional? No, I tried a bunch on when we all went looking but this one just felt... like me," she replies, and her mother nods.

"It's wonderful, it is very you," she confirms, passing the phone over to Kathryn, "did you cry when you were looking?"

"Yeah, I cry at everything Mum you know that. Of course I cried a little seeing myself in a wedding dress that felt like mine," Courtney admits, with half a laugh.

"Oh, that's gorgeous, I can't wait to see the finished version, I'm sure you'll look amazing," Kathryn comments, before Courtney takes back the phone and angles the conversation in a less her-focussed direction, suddenly feeling the pang of missing Shayne creeping back into her mind.

It continues throughout the day. She wants to text him, because it's as close as she can get to being near him, but she doesn't have anything to say and she knows he's meant to be having that big talk with his family at some point, so...

She forces herself to try not to think too hard about how much she misses him, particularly during family time, although it's hard for her to direct her mind anywhere else than the man who sits comfortably in every corner of her life. She ends up helping her mother and Kari clean out a big communal closet that hasn't been touched for years, and it almost distracts her for most of the afternoon.